This invention relates to boats.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a boat wherein two sections of its length are hinged together to enable a first of the sections to be folded over the second section for reducing overall length, and the second section is supported longitudinally on an elongate spine that is selectively extendable lengthwise to afford longitudinal support for the first section when unfolded from the second section for use of the boat on water.
The foldability of the boat to reduce overall length is of especial advantage for towing and storage purposes on land, and the use of the extendable spine for longitudinal support of the first section when unfolded, as well as of the second section, gives a longitudinal strength to the boat unifying the two sections, without the need to rely for such strength on interconnection between them. Moreover the spine, which may be telescopically-extendable, provides a means for attachment and handling of the boat for towing and maneuvering the boat whether folded on land or unfolded on land or water.
The two sections may be bow and stern sections, and may be of substantially the same length as one another to provide the maximum saving of overall length. More especially in this case, the bow section may fold over the stern section, and the spine when extended may provide support for the bow section along substantially the full length of the unfolded bow section. Furthermore, the stern section may be mounted on a chassis that includes the extendable spine, and the chassis may have wheels, for example a pair of laterally-spaced wheels, for transporting the boat on land. The wheels may be retractable.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a boat having wheels that are deployed for transporting the boat on land, the wheels being selectively retractable from the deployed condition into one or more recesses of the hull of the boat, for use of the boat on water.
When retracted, the wheels preferably lie within the compass of the hull such that they do not project from, or do not project to any substantial extent from, the generally streamline contour defined by the hull. In this regard, more particularly, the wheels may be selectively retractable into respective compartments that open through the bottom of the hull of the boat, and the openings through the hull to the compartments may be closed by respective doors in response to retraction of the wheels.
The boat with selectively-retractable wheels may have, as referred to above, bow and stern sections that are hinged together to enable the bow section to be folded over the stern section, and an extendable spine for supporting the two sections. In these circumstances, the wheels may be mounted on a chassis that includes the extendable spine, and an interlock may be provided to preclude the retraction of the wheels until the spine is extended.